Hello all,

I am going to fit a towbar soon and need to take the bumper off to do so.

Can anyone give me any help as to how to do that without breaking anything please?

Any tips and tricks for the wiring up of the towbar electrics would be gratefully received as well ( Thanks to Octygone for his PM help earlier today already)

Thanks all

Cheers:thumbup:

The Mk 1 Superb is a piece of cake for this job. (Dealer wanted £400 to fit!).

Bumper skin fittings are all obvious (underneath and in wheelarches) except for fixings each side under the rear lights - these need to come out. The bumper skin is unweildy and floppy - get help to lift it off and have somewhere to put it. The towbar pickup points are all drilled ready - 2 holes each side are tapped and the other 2 take nuts. The holes are covered in masking tape and sprayed body colour. The towbar replaces the VAG crashbar - put the original bolts back in or you will have a water leak into the boot.

Wiring is easy (no multiplex). I removed the rear lamp bulb carriers on each side and soldered short lengths of wire to the metal tracks, crimping a 1/4" female blade connector on each free end to connect to the towbar wiring. I put an audible bleeper in the boot for trailer flasher lamp failure detect. Wire up the LH foglamp whilst you're in there - everything is there apart from the wire.

The PD 130 (manual) is a brilliant towcar - I have towed some insanely heavy loads with mine and it will go indecently fast, even with a big trailer on the back. (The fuel consumption takes a knock though...)

rotodiesel.

OK, So the metalwork is all on now, and the towbar electrics are into the boot area.

Now for the scary bit!

I've identified all the wiring colours for the lights.

Obviously 2 wires need to go from O/S to N/S - can they be put behind the black plastic cover just inside the boot? If so, how do I get this off? It looks like 4 or so plastic screw connectors and the tie downs, but I'm not sure.

Also, the 12V power supply to the relay - how do I get this out of the panel - I am not sure about just hauling on it. Also will the return wire be brown as well? I presume the power take off is from the input side of the socket.

I am sorry for all the questions, but I am nervous about screwing up the car electrics, so any help would be really gratefully received.

Thansk for any help:thumbup:

Cheers

Michael

If you also wire the LH foglamp, you need 3 wires from L to R of the car. These slot behind the trim panel at the back inside of the boot. I can't remember how I did it but it was very easy - probably loosen panel at the bottom and push the wires up into the space.

The 12V power feed to the relay contact (for the trailer stoplamps) comes from the back of the power socket in the boot, via an in-line fuse. Put the relay behind the trim - accessible through the RH bulb changing flap. This means all wiring is hidden behind the trim. Use a blob of Blutack to secure the relay to the car body. I soldered a wire to the connector pole piece at the boot power socket end and pushed the assembly back into the connector shell for insulation. This gives a neat job.

You need 2 earths, one for the white wire in the 7 core cable (earths all the trailer lights) and one for the relay coil. I used a rear light fixing stud as an earth terminal for both, after cleaning off the paint, applying vaseline and fitting a shakeproof washer between the tag and body to give a good contact.

rotodiesel.

Thanks Rotodiesel,

I'll have a look tonight and see if I have any SP washers around.

Cheers:D

Thanks Rotodiesel,

Good advice and the job all done now - and it actually works so even better!

Just got to go and tow something now.......

Cheers all

. Wire up the LH foglamp whilst you're in there - everything is there apart from the wire.

rotodiesel.

You mean the bulb holder and any contacts are ready to take a bulb and just need a live feed? If so, that's penny-pinching in the extreme. Even for SUK.

So do I just run a live over from the O/S fog light?

cheers

Everything is there - including the bulb which is the higher powered half of the tail lamp.

All you need is wire...

rotodiesel.